In addition to the two main teaching periods, the UniSA offers undergraduate and postgraduate* students the opportunity to study courses in an intensive format during the summer and winter periods.
Adding a summer or winter course provides you with a range of engaging study and learning opportunities, improves flexibility in your study timetable, allows you to plan for overseas exchange opportunities and could also help to fast-track your degree.
These courses are available to all programs except the following:
Though not compulsory, summer and winter school provides you with a variety of choices and options to enrich your experience.
To accommodate these intensive courses, the business programs timetable runs slightly different from the rest of the University. More information can be found in the FAQs.
It is recommended that business enrol in no more than two summer or winter school intensives, and they cannot be clashing.
If you have specific enquiries relating to your personal study plan, difficulties relating to course requirement clashes, opportunities and more, please contact the Business Student Hub.
For all important dates, please see the academic calendar which outlines term start dates, exam periods, census dates and more.
*This does not apply to the Master of Business Administration.
UniSA Business runs on a slightly different timetable format to the rest of the University. Study Period 2 finishes slightly earlier and Study Period 5 starts slightly later. This opens up an eight week winter school period (known as Study Period 4) in the middle of the year that can be used for a wide variety of activities such as overseas summer schools, study tours, intensive offerings of courses to fast track your degree, internships and more.
Courses in Study Period 2 and Study Period 5 are 10 weeks each.
As SA's leading business program, we want to offer more value to your degree. Industry bodies and employers value graduates who are globally capable, who have developed their independence and their sense of personal responsibility.
Students who have participated in internships or work experience are considered to be more adaptable to the work environment, due to the insights and knowledge they have gained in their student placements.
Students who have undertaken an overseas study experience are considered to display greater skills in decision making, problem solving, self-reliance and self-confidence, which are highly valued attributes in employees.
Students who are enrolled in undergraduate cross disciplinary programs or who are combining their degrees will have some courses offered in the ten week business format and some courses offered in the 13 week format used in other divisions.
Your study year will start and finish at the same time as the current semester model each year. The change to the business timetable will mean that Study Period 2 will finish earlier and Study Period 5 will start later. This opens up an eight week winter school period in the middle of the year that can be used for a wide variety of activities such as internships, overseas summer schools, study tours, intensive offerings of courses to fast track your degree and more.
UniSA Business has completed an extensive curriculum mapping process to identify courses for intensives, and ensure that all content can be taught within the ten week format. It was noted that the first and last lectures were often introductory or review sessions, therefore this material will be available online to be reviewed whenever it best suits students. This will allow students to come to their first lecture prepared and ready to immerse themselves in the content of the course. More attention will be applied to providing materials for review and, in some cases, an additional review session may be scheduled to assist students prepare for exams.
While the volume of assessment will remain the same (e.g. assessment word count will remain), the assessment schedule has been streamlined to reduce clashes and provide better feedback for students. Additionally, continuous assessments such as in class quizzes, reflective journals, tutorial preparation or discussion board postings will be utilised.
Study Periods 2 and 5 will still have the same mid-study period breaks. The break in the middle of the year will be extended so that you have the option to continue studying and complete your degree earlier, complete electives, internships, international exchanges, study tours or internships in a time that is clash free with the delivery of core units. You may even choose to use this extended break to work.
Yes, the new business timetable will not extend the duration of your degree, in fact it offers you the flexibility to fast track your degree to complete earlier should you wish to do so.
Business program students
Double Degree/Students undertaking cross disciplinary courses
No, you will start and finish University at the same time as all the students, unless you take advantage of intensive offerings and study tours that will be made available in summer school - study periods 7 (December) and 1 (January).
Yes, Orientation for commencing business students will take place in the week immediately preceding the commencement of teaching in study period 5.
You are considered to be a full-time student if you are studying a minimum of six x 4.5 unit courses per year, or equivalent. Most full time students study eight x 4.5 unit courses per year.
There are many timetable models across the University to suit placement and other professional requirements. UniSA Business is moving to this new timetable for the following reasons:
Course Coordinators in other areas of the University are aware that in some cases, students studying both 10 week business courses, and 13 week courses from other disciplines in study period 2, may have exams or assignments due that clash with classes.
Course Coordinators understand the concerns of students, and wherever possible and appropriate, attendance requirements will be waived or extensions for assignments provided.
Help is available from the UniSA Business Student Hub for students who need assistance with scheduling, or are experiencing difficulty negotiating a clash in course requirements between Course Coordinators.
The benefits you will experience mirror those of internal students. You will be able to fast track your degree by taking additional courses in intensive mode, undertake internships and you will find additional online content will be made available to you relating to the introduction and review of course content.
Students are encouraged to try to plan their enrolments so that they do 10 week courses in one study period and 13 week courses in a different study period.
Managing enrolments in this way will help to avoid potential conflicts but we recognise this may not always be possible. As such, UniSA Business has undertaken an extensive consultation process with staff in other areas so that they are aware that students may have potential deadline clashes due to the new timetable.
Course Coordinators in other schools have been made aware that in some cases in study period 2, students enrolled in business courses will have exams in weeks 12 and 13 of their standard term. Wherever possible and appropriate, attendance requirements will be waived and extensions for assignments may be sought and the clash will be understood by the Course Coordinators of 13 week courses. Students who are experiencing difficulty negotiating a clash in course requirements between Course Coordinators are encouraged to contact the Business Student Hub for assistance.
An intensive is a course run over a short period of time. Exactly the same content is delivered in an intensive course and the contact hours are the same as a course delivered in a 10 week study period, it is just a more intensive immersion in the course content, over a shorter period of time – either one, two or five weeks.
Intensives may be offered at any time during the year but are primarily to be offered in study periods 1, 4 and 7 – in line with winter and summer school periods. The duration and style of intensives vary due to the content and requirements of the course.
Many intensives will be offered over a two week period where one piece of assessment may be required to be submitted during the course offering and one after it has been completed.
Other variations may be that the intensive is timetabled over a series of weekends or two lectures per week over a five week period.
Intensives are beneficial, with evidence showing that student success rates are higher in intensive offerings, compared with courses offered over a longer period of time.
Intensive courses will be timetabled in the usual way and available for enrolment through myEnrolment. Your course home page will indicate whether the course you are interested in may be offered in intensive mode, although not all courses will be offered in this mode every year.
Winter and summer school intensives will also be published annually on this page for your information.
A standard domestic course delivered in intensive mode does not cost any extra.
International study tour/Intensive courses may have additional costs as they include items such as travel, accommodation, field trips and social or cultural activities.
UniSA offers a variety of international study tours, most of which occur in study period 1 and study period 4. Students are also encouraged to explore ‘summer school’ opportunities during this time. UniSA has a range of international exchange partners who offer short term (2-6 week) study options.
For information relating to all study tours and a selection of summer schools, please see the study tours website.
Yes, there are several options.
Most faculty led study tours offered by UniSA have New Columbo Plan (NCP), Endeavour Short Term Mobility Program (STMP) or AsiaBound grants available. UniSA annually applies for student grants to assist students to participate in overseas study tours.
In addition to these grants, UniSA provides funding to ensure we take a minimum of 20 students on the tours. When a study tour is promoted, information relating to the funding available is provided.
UniSA also offers competitive ‘overseas experience grants’ to business students that can be used to undertake overseas short term study experiences such as internships, international conference presentation or attendance, overseas summer schools, volunteering abroad or third party provided study tours. For further information please see the grant website.
UniSA International also offers travel grants to students to undertake short term or full semester exchange. Students may apply for up to $2,500 for full semester exchange and up to $1,000 for short term exchange, study tours or other international activity. Please note that the total amount available per student is $2,500.
All grants require that the activity be approved by the Program Director for credit into the student’s program.
You will not need to apply for credit for intensives offerings of courses required in your program as you will enrol in them in the usual way.
If you are taking internal intensive offerings of courses as electives, you will not need to apply for credit but may need Program Director approval. Please refer to your program home page rules and notes to see whether this is required.
Students undertaking exchange will remain enrolled at UniSA but will require Program Director approval for the courses they are taking at their host institution. On satisfactory completion of the course requirements in the host country, credit will be granted for courses studied overseas.
For further information about your exchange options please contact student.exchange@unisa.edu.au.
There is a broad range of outbound exchange and study abroad opportunities that you can attend during the winter break. Information relating to:
Postgraduate students will find that the timetable addition of winter school, as well as summer school, makes their program even more flexible. UniSA has timetabled a wide range of courses in winter (SP4) and summer schools (SP1 and SP7), in addition to SP2 and SP5, so that you may continue to enrol over multiple study periods and organise your study load to suit your professional or personal commitments.
For a list of winter and summer school courses available in please see the following webpage.
Winter school will also allow you to engage in overseas study tours, international summer schools and internships without interrupting your study in core courses.
For further information about how you can manage your study load and the exciting opportunities available, please make a 1:1 appointment with the Business Student Hub.
Full-time study for postgraduate domestic students is between six and eight courses per year (a minimum of three courses in the first half of the year and three in the second half of the year). For students to complete in the published duration they will need to study eight courses per year. Students may undertake any study pattern that suits them which may include taking all of your courses in study periods 2 and 5 (subject to timetabling) or by reducing your load in those study periods and taking intensive courses in study periods 1, 4 and 7.
International students are required to complete their program within the published duration of the program and in accordance with their confirmation of enrolment (COE). It is not prescribed how these courses should be studied, however they should have enrolments in the major study periods of 2 and 5. International students are also eligible to take intensive offerings in study periods 1, 4 and 7 to reduce the load they are required to study in study periods 2 and 5.
Your visa will not be impacted if you complete your program within the published duration of the program and in accordance with your confirmation of enrolment document (COE).
Yes, provided you have at least a two-year (16 courses) study plan and you complete it in no less than 16 months. You could do this while fast-tracking by (for example):
First year
Second year
Yes, your visa conditions allow you to work full-time because it’s the designated break in between compulsory study periods.
Yes. You are able to arrange courses across multiple study periods provided all courses fit into your allocated duration. It is preferred that students ‘condense’ rather than ‘disperse’ - just in case they need to redo a course.
On application, international students will be provided with a study plan that uses only major study periods 2 and 5 - unless they have received credit and it is beneficial to the student to reduce their duration of stay by taking a course in winter school.
We anticipate that winter school intensive course offerings will be consistent from year to year. However, there may be circumstances where this is not the case. We suggest that students wishing to fast track their program consult with the Business Student Hub for advice and do so on an annual basis when the timetable for the following year is released.
Programs are open for applications for students to commence in February (SP2) or August (SP5) only.
Yes, providing the total duration of your courses fits within 26 weeks. This may depend on which specific winter school courses you wish to study.
If there is sufficient course matching and your home institution approves then you may undertake exchange/study abroad during our study period 4 only. During this time, we also run our International winter school option.
If you are enrolled in our study abroad or exchange program you will come on a student visa. For other visa options, including short term, please see immi.gov.au.